Blade Runner 2049 is probably not a great sequel to the 1982 classic but still a very good movie as a whole. Although the visuals (both in terms of cinematography and effects) are fantastic, the characters weren’t all that interesting and the performances were just okay. However, this is still well worth seeing.

THE MOVIE — 3.75/5

Plot Synopsis: Thirty years after the events of Blade Runner, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (RYAN GOSLING), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos: that a replicant gave birth to a child. There are two sides wanting this child, one wanting him/her dead, namely K’s boss Lieutenant Joshi (ROBIN WRIGHT), and the other is the head of the Wallace Corporation (JARED LETO) who took over from the bankrupt Tyrell. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (HARRISON FORD), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for decades.

Review: 1982 brought about Blade Runner a movie that basically bombed in theaters, taking in a mere $32M ($83.77M adjusted for ticket inflation), but garnered a cult following over the years. Now here’s Blade Runner 2049, a movie that more or less bombed at the box office making $259M worldwide on a $150M budget. Seems like I see a pattern. And while I wasn’t nearly as enthralled with this sequel compared with the original, there is plenty to love and appreciate and perhaps like its predecessor will see something of a cult following beyond the fans that went out and saw it.

I have to say, I was absolutely enthralled with BR2049… for probably about the first 45 minutes being captivated with this world once again only slightly changed in the thirty years. One could not be mesmerized by the cinematography from the legendary Roger Deakins, teaming up once again with Sicario director Denis Villeneuve. No doubt, a match made in heaven.

Unfortunately while the film does have a fantastic look, with incredible visual effects as aid, I can’t say the characters were all that interesting. Ryan Gosling is an actor I never liked nor hated and here his “K” is serviceable in the lead but not all that impactful; Robin Wright in her brief role certainly lent some weight; Jared Leto has maybe 10-15 minutes of screen time playing the film’s main antagonist though I suspect we’re supposed to get more from him in a sequel that likely will never happen; Ana de Armas perhaps was the best of the bunch despite playing a hologram; and Harrison Ford doesn’t even make an appearance until about 100 minutes into the film and even then wasn’t all that different than Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, just more glum.

There’s no way one can’t compare Blade Runner 2049 with the original and although visually it does match up rather well, I had a hard time caring about any of the characters and wasn’t even emotionally involved with the story all that much. But even so, this is still a film worth watching and perhaps will grow in the years to come, for now it’s a visual spectacle, just not a complete masterpiece and given how much I loved Villeneuve’s Sicario, I’d be lying if I wasn’t slightly disappointed.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5

This release comes with a semi-glossy and reflective slip cover and inside is a redemption code for the Digital HD copy.

Designing the World of Blade Runner 2049 (21:55; HD) – This featurette looks at how the design team both honored the original film’s appearance as well as presenting something new. Includes interviews with Director Denis Villeneuve, Executive Producer Ridley Scott, Actors Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford and others.

To Be Human: Casting Blade Runner 2049 (17:15; HD) examines the casting in the film – from Ryan Gosling to Robin Wright to David Bautista – and how each character strives to understand what it means to be human.

Welcome to 2049 (2:04) – What’s left of L.A., and can technology save the world’s toxic future?

Jois (2:21) – Who or what is Joi, and how far will an A.I. go to become real?

Within the Skies: Spinners, Pilotfish and Barracudas (1:23) – What are airborne cars and drones in this future world?

The above are basic primers on the film for any newcomers and serve as mini-adverts. Nothing fancy, just interviews with the cast and director set against scenes from the movie.

4K VIDEO – 5.0/5, BD VIDEO – 5.0/5

Warner Brothers releases Blade Runner 2049 onto 4K UHD and is shown in the original theatrical 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2160p transfer and as with the original Blade Runner, looks absolutely stunning in the format. Colors, which ranges from cooler to warmer tones, are vivid and all around vibrant throughout, detail was excellent and well defined and just looks fantastic. This is easily one of a few reference quality releases.

The 1080p Blu-ray is no slouch either, as it’s also features excellent detail and colors, and though it doesn’t quite benefit from the HDR from the 4K release, this still is one amazing looking picture.

4K/BD AUDIO – 5.0/5

Both the 4K and Blu-ray include Dolby Atmos tracks and it’s, simply put, phenomenal. Along with the crisp and clear dialogue levels, when you’re in this futuristic Los Angeles cityscape, alongside Hans Zimmer’s synthetic-like score, the depth is in full form and the bass kicks in for that extra measure while not being overwhelming that it would distract from the film. As with the video, this is something you can show off to friends and family.

OVERALL – 4.25/5

Overall, Blade Runner 2049 is probably not a great sequel to the 1982 classic but still a very good movie as a whole. Although the visuals (both in terms of cinematography and effects) are fantastic, the characters weren’t all that interesting except for maybe one and the performances were just okay. However, this is still well worth seeing. This 4K combo pack offers up excellent video/audio transfers for both the 4K and Blu-ray though the features are a bit lacking.

Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.